20 Tips for Better Personal Care

Good personal hygiene is the first step to good health. It not only protects you from poor health, but also shields those around you from suffering illnesses that arise from poor personal habits. Habits such as washing your hands, bathing, brushing, flossing, may all look monotonous and boring, but they all come under important personal hygiene. They make you feel good about yourself and keep you free of bacteria, viruses, and illnesses. In this post we give you 20 tips for personal hygiene that you must follow routinely.

Personal Hygiene #Habit 1 - Vaginal itch is curable and does not need intensive treatment. The doctor will prescribe antibiotics and antifungal creams that will take care of the skin problem.How do you prevent vaginal itch?

Stay dry and clean

Shower daily

Rinse out all the soap

Make sure your intimates are not tight; cotton is a preferred material

It is recommended that after motions, you must wash up or wipe from front to back. This will help avoid germs entering the vagina.

Grandma’s tip: Back in the day, women were suggested to sleep without their underwear, so that the vagina area remains dry.

Personal Hygiene Habit #2 - For Food storage:

• Store and prepare raw meat, poultry, and seafood away from other foods

• Store food in the fridge at 5°C/41°F, do not overfill and allow cold air to circulate

• Prevent raw food juices from dripping onto other foods.

Personal Hygiene Habit #3 - While preparing your food:

Cut meat and vegetables with separate knives and chopping/cutting boards.

Clean your hands every now and then by using hand sanitizers. This is because alcohol is a drying agent and kills all the viruses and bacterias immediately.

However, please note alcohol is liable to make your skin dry, thus always go for a branded alcohol-based fragrance-free hand sanitizer, which has a good amount of moisturizer in it.

Personal Hygiene Habit #8 - Office pantry etiquette:

The office pantry is a very tricky place – you can’t avoid it, but nor can you be friends with it. The best practice is to carry your own coffee and tea mugs and wash them at least twice a day.

If you are not so sure about your office hygiene, get your own tissue roll from home and store your office snacks in a clean and safe drawer.

Personal Hygiene Habit #9 - Makeup hygiene:

Eyebrow pencil hygiene is a must. Always ensure that you clean your eyebrow pencil with a wet tissue before usage in order to get rid of bacterial residue.

Wash your makeup brush and powder puffs on a weekly basis with a mild baby shampoo for best and safe usage. Dry the washed makeup product by using a clean towel.

Never use your fingers to apply makeup, unless and until a profesional artist does that for you. But, if you must use your fingers, then make sure they're clean and that you use just the ring finger as it has the lightest stroke.

Personal Hygiene Habit #10 - Brushing hygiene:

Brush your teeth twice a day for at least 3-5 minutes. Make sure you do not put too much pressure as this can hurt your gums.

Place the bristles along the gum line at a 45-degree angle. Gently brush the outer tooth surfaces of 2-3 teeth using a vibrating back and forth motion. Clean outer, inner and biting surfaces of teeth with scrubbing motion.

Studies show an essential oil based mouthwash reduces plaque by 70% and gum problems by 36% over brushing alone. Use an anti-microbial mouthwash to get complete protection from germs.

Floss your teeth. Ease the floss gently between your teeth, pull the floss smoothly back and front. Additionally, using a dental floss will help remove food debris that’s stuck in your teeth.

Clean and brush the surface of your tongue daily because there is bacteria present particularly on the rougher top surface of the tongue. These can contribute to bad breath (halitosis) and negatively affect your dental health.

Personal Hygiene Habit #11 - Bathe Daily:

A daily shower is a must whether you feel grungy or not. A regular bath (every morning and after all athletic activities) helps in keeping you clean, fresh and odor free.

Cleaning your body is also important to ensure your skin rejuvenates itself, as the scrubbing of your arms, legs, and torso will slough off dead, dry skin and help your skin stay healthy and refreshed, and will prevent acne, blemishes and other skin eruptions.

Also, do not share your towel and wash them on a regular basis.

Personal Hygiene Habit #12 - Trim your nails:

Keeping your finger and toenails trimmed and in good shape will prevent problems such as hang nails (when a loose strip of dead skin hangs from the edge of a fingernail) and infected nail beds.

If possible, trim them weekly and brush them daily with soap so that no dirt or residue remains beneath the nail.

Fingernails should be trimmed straight across and slightly rounded at the top whereas toenails should be trimmed straight across.

The best time to cut your nails is after bathing when they are soft and easy to trim. It's also a good idea to moisturize nails and cuticles regularly.

Personal Hygiene Habit #13 - Take care of your hair:

Washing your hair at least every other day is important to keeping your hair and scalp healthy and in good shape.

If you suffer from lice or dandruff, then take necessary action at the earliest. Also, it is critical that you get a hair cut frequently for healthy hair.

The longer you wait to get your hair cut, the more frail and brittle your hair can become, especially if it is longer.

Personal Hygiene Habit #14 - Wear Clean Clothes:

Wear a fresh set of clothes as often as possible.

Dirty clothes are a source of contamination and can cause very serious skin disorders if worn over and over without washing them.

Also, try wearing a clean pair of socks every day (especially after athletic activities) as this keep your feet dry and not smelly.

Wash clothing and linens on a regular basis as the longer it takes you to clean them the smellier they become.

Personal Hygiene Habit #15 - Hair Removal:

Shave your underarms and legs if you desire, but do so with care. Use a new blade if you are going to shave with a manual razor to lessen your risk of cutting yourself. Also use shaving cream, or a shaving gel.

Take your time when shaving to avoid nicks and cuts.

Pubic hair does not have to be shaved. If it is shaved, it may grow inward, and the skin in this area of the body may be sensitive after shaving.

Try using a moisturizer that contains no oil if you want to make facial hair less noticeable, or use a bleaching product.

Talk to your parents about removing facial hair permanently, if you are thinking about it.

Personal Hygiene Habit #16 - Body Odor:

Keep your underarms and groin area clean and dry to discourage bacteria.

Change out of sweaty clothes as soon as possible after exercising or perspiring.

Trim or shave your underarm and pubic hair so there is less surface area allowing for the accumulation of sweat and bacteria.

Cut back on alcohol and foods that may contribute to body odor, including curry, spicy food, onion, and garlic.

Personal Hygiene Habit #17 - Sleep tight:

Get plenty of rest — 8 to 10 hours a night — so that you are refreshed and are ready to take on the day every morning.

Personal Hygiene Habit #18 - Clean your ears:

Clean your ears with your fingers while having a bath.

The daily cleaning of all hearing devices is essential to remove germs that can be introduced into the ear.

Earrings should be kept clean, and should be removed daily so the piercing can be attended to.

The use of hair products can build-up on the ear and should be washed off when possible to avoid irritation to the skin of the ear.

Personal Hygiene Habit #19 - Foot Care:

Wash your feet properly while having a bath, specially between the fingers.

Wear the right socks.

Make sure your shoes aren't too tight.

Switch shoes.

Wash shoes or insoles of your shoes.

Stay in bare feet at home.

Keep your toenails trimmed and clean.

Personal Hygiene Habit #20 - Genital care:

For men: Wash your genitals with a finger. Shower on the outside normally. If you can retract foreskin just rinse in water and wipe with clean finger. If you can't pull it back yet then it is clean under there and no maintenace is required.

For women: Clean your vaginal area twice a day. Use a panty liner. Try to keep this area shaved.